


Family Ties

by Severina



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Community: lands_of_magic, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-10
Updated: 2015-07-10
Packaged: 2018-04-08 17:12:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,123
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4313439
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Severina/pseuds/Severina
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Henry gathers his diverse family at the shore for a little chat.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Family Ties

**Author's Note:**

> Written for LJ's lands_of_magic 'Badda Bing, Badda Bang' challenge, for an image prompt of a wave in all shades of the rainbow.
> 
> * * *

"Tell me why we're doing this again," Rumplestiltskin asked as he held the car door open.

Belle smiled as she emerged, reached out a hand to smooth down his tie. He had to begrudgingly admit that even the smallest touch from his wife took the edge of his irritation. And Belle knew it too, smirking at him when she felt the tension in his shoulders ease. "Henry wants to talk to all of us together," she said. "His whole family."

"And he couldn't do this at his grandparent's home? Or his mother's?"

She took his arm as they made their way down the boardwalk. "Perhaps he wanted someplace neutral?" she suggested. 

Rumplestiltskin grunted, which merely made Belle squeeze his arm a little tighter. He side-glanced her, found the corners of his mouth lifting in a smile against his better judgement. The wind coming in off the ocean lifted her hair away from her face and added a flush to her cheeks, and despite all his grumping about being called away from the shop in the middle of the day he really couldn't complain when it meant spending more time with his beautiful wife. 

The tentative smile dropped from his face when he reached the group assembled at the shoreline.

"Glad you finally decided to join us," Regina bit out.

"Not all of us can drop our work at a moment's notice," Rumplestiltskin answered. "Belle had to lock up her library, I was in the middle of a very delicate—"

"Yes, I'm sure that's all fascinating," Regina interrupted.

"Mom."

"Sorry, Henry," Regina said.

"It's… actually probably Gold that you should be apologizing to, Regina."

The look Regina turned on Snow reminded Rumplestiltskin of the days of old, and the only thing that stopped him from rubbing his hands together gleefully was Belle's continued hold on his arm. For her part, Regina clearly held back whatever scathing reply she had planned to make – much to Rumplestiltskin's regret – and merely nodded brusquely to him before she returned her attention to her son.

"Okay, kid, we're all here," Emma said. "What's up?"

The boy took a deep breath. "All right," he began. "I know we don't have the most… normal family. I mean, if you look up 'unconventional' in the dictionary, you'll probably find our pictures. How many kids have moms who are dating a pirate and a thief—"

"Reformed pirate," Jones said.

"Ex-thief," Robin clarified.

"Right," Henry said. "And then one set of grandparents who are the same age as his moms, and a grandpa who's the most powerful sorcerer anywhere—"

"One might argue that point," Regina muttered under her breath.

Rumplestiltskin bristled. "Not anyone with more than six brain cells in her head."

"—and a beautiful librarian gramma."

Belle narrowed her eyes playfully. "I thought we agreed on just 'Belle', Henry."

"Right," Henry said again, his lips quirking in a tentative smile that quickly faded. His hands twisted together nervously. "Anyway, even though our family tree is really, _really_ messed up, we've always done our best to be there for each other. Sure, there's been issues in the past. But now we've all gotten better at being honest and truthful with one another, and we really support each other. And I just really think that's important, because we're all different, but we're all really unique too, so—"

"Oh for goodness sakes, Henry, spit it out," Rumple groused.

"Rumple," Belle warned.

The pirate scowled. "Leave the lad alone."

"Maybe we should all just stay calm," Charming urged.

"I'm gay!" Henry blurted out.

Rumplestiltskin waited for someone else to speak, but when the assembled collective remained silent he finally opened his mouth. "Is that all?" he asked. When Henry's eyes flicked to his, he waved a hand in the general direction of town. "I only ask because I'm working with a very delicate mix of chemicals back at the shop, son."

"That… that's all," Henry stuttered. His gaze darted between Rumplestiltskin and the rest of the group, his brow furrowed. "Aren't you surprised?"

"No," Rumplestiltskin answered shortly.

"It's been pretty obvious for a while now, Henry," Snow put in gently.

"Obvious?" Henry repeated, his voice cracking.

"Not _obvious_ ," Snow backtracked. She reached out to draw Charming close. "It's just… we're your grandparents. We pay attention to the little things."

"That's right, Henry," Charming said. "Like… like your video collection."

"The way you look at Steve Harmon's boy," the pirate said.

"Who is simply _not_ good enough for you, I may add," Regina said.

"Which one is Steve Harmon's boy?" Charming asked.

"The lad with the shaggy hair," the pirate answered. "Always carries that long board with the wheels under his arm."

"His skateboard," Snow said.

"Aaah right," Charming said. "Been hanging around a lot. Cute kid."

"Then there's the poster of that large, beefy gentleman on your bedroom wall," Robin added. He looked to Regina. "What is his name? Channing…"

"Tatum. That's Channing Tatum," Belle answered promptly. She squirmed a little when Rumplestiltskin looked down at her and raised a brow, then grinned impishly at him as she squeezed his arm. "What? I may have seen him in _Magic Mike_."

"Seven times," Snow snickered.

"None of that matters, kid," Emma interrupted. "The point is, we love you no matter who you love. Even," she said with a pointed look at Regina, "if that turns out to be Cam Harmon."

"I don't love Cam," Henry muttered. Then he raised his head, jutted his chin in a way that reminded Rumplestiltskin forcefully of his Baelfire. "I don't love anybody like that right now. But someday I will."

"Good for you, Henry," Rumplestiltskin said. "Never let anyone else tell you who you may love. Always follow your heart. And when you've found the person that makes your heart sing, never ever let that person go." He could sense Belle beaming up at him, cleared his throat. "Now, can we head back to town? The odds of finding my shop in a smoking ruin increase exponentially with every moment we spend on this pier."

"Sure, Grandpa," Henry said. "You're still gonna teach me how to work with those compounds, right? For my science class."

"Absolutely," Rumplestiltskin said, already turning toward his car.

"Oh no," Regina said. "You and controlled substances is a dangerous mix for my son, Gold."

"It's not your decision, Regina," Emma said. "It's Henry's. He's not a kid anymore."

"I find I must agree with Regina here, love," the pirate put in.

"Yeah? You sure about that, Killian?" Emma asked. "Think carefully before you answer."

Rumplestiltskin pressed his hand against Belle's as he strolled back to his vehicle, and couldn't even find it in himself to be annoyed at all the chatter. This was his family, after all.


End file.
